Philosophy

Musket began long before the clothing.

It began in pressure, in loss, in rebuilding — and in learning to slow down.

For much of my life, I worked in environments where tension was normal and composure mattered. I served as a soldier and later as a police officer. I learned discipline early. I learned responsibility. I learned that strength is not loud - it’s controlled.

Over time, though, that pace leaves its mark and none of these organisations taught relaxation techniques. 

In 2013, when my daughter Madeleine was just two years old, her mother took her own life. Overnight, I became a single parent navigating grief, guilt, responsibility — and a little girl who still needed stability regardless of how I felt. And the curls. Those time consuming curls!

It was the hardest period of my life. Not because I broke completely, but because I couldn’t. I had children who depended on me. In order to survive I began making different choices.

I slowed down.

I made a conscious decision to remove what I could of unnecessary pressure. I focused on raising my kids well. I built businesses not for status, but for autonomy — creating a life where the pace was intentional rather than imposed.

I worked less frantically. I became more deliberate. Ironically, I became more successful!

In recent years I began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Not to compete, but to reconnect with my body. On the mats, you learn quickly that force without control exhausts you. Breathing matters. Patience matters. Ego is expensive.

It reinforced something I had already started to understand: Calm is strength.

I also really like the pants. 

So I started to experiment with how I could transform a uniform that was engineered to choke me out into something that I could wear when I chill out. The Chi Gi was born. 

I want Musket to be a brand that creates quality apparel. What you do with it and how you wear it is up to you. But, if you're looking for peace, harmony and balance I hope my gear puts you in that head space. 

When looking for a foundation for the Musket Brand I was reminded of the words of Benvenuto Cellini.

“A well rounded man is an artist, warrior, and philosopher.”

A more perfect description of my personal philosophy couldn't be found.  

The philosopher reflects.

The artist creates.

The warrior endures.

Musket is built on the belief that how we dress affects how we feel. And how we feel shapes how we move through the world.

The Chi Gi was created for the hours after effort — when the day slows and you return to yourself. Loose fitting. Breathable. Structured enough to feel put together. Soft enough to relax into.

Clothing designed to help you unwind. Comfort isn’t indulgence. It’s positioning. When the body feels unrestricted, the mind follows.

If Musket stands for anything, it stands for refinement — not reinvention. Becoming a little calmer. A little more grounded. A little less reactive.

I’m not a finished product. I don’t believe any of us are. A complete person realises completion isn’t the goal — growth is. Grow with me. 

— Jarrod Stillman